Stumble, Fall, Rise
by Muntin
Summary: Clyde has always been an interesting character. What is his past life? How did he come to be adopted? What was he like. We don't know much other than at the moment his life is pretty great. But was it always that good?
1. chapter 1

The boy sat on the edge of his bed sweating heavily. Outside the rain poured down and thunder rumbled through the air.

The boy wrapped his arms around his trembling body.

He didn't like the thunder.

It was so loud outside that it nearly covered the sound of shouting from downstairs. However the voices seemed to rise above the thunder all but screaming. The boy tried to distract himself but it was no use. All he could here were the loud screams and the thunder outside.

The boy sniffed slightly but held back his tears. He had long since learnt that crying got you nowhere.

Instead the boy stared at the wall in front of him. If he really tries he could imagine he was elsewhere. Maybe he was on an island in the sky or flying around with the birds. He could be saving a princess from a dragon or ruling a kingdom. Anywhere really. But instead he was here.

From far away the boy heard a glass shatter and a loud scream fill the house. Most boys would be terrified but the boy was used to this.

It was okay now because this is where most of the arguments ended. The boy let out a small sigh of relief that he didn't realise he was holding. The house was finally silent. Soon his mom would come up and tuck him in and it would all be better.

The boy sat on the edge of his bed still shaking slightly as he waiting for his mother but she never came.

The boy couldn't wait any longer so he jumped off his bed and gently landed on the floor. He scurried down the hallway but paused at the top of the stairs.

His parents didn't like it when he was out of bed. His dad would get angry and the boy knew that wasn't good news.

The boy waited at the top of the stairs for a while before creeping down. If it was this silent then his dad must have fallen asleep on the couch.

When he got downstairs the lights were off. He could only see light coming from the small kitchen. So, remembering to be quiet, the boy tiptoed to the kitchen and peered inside.

At first glance the boy couldn't see either of his parents and the wall was blocking his view so he cautiously crept inside

As soon as he walked in he could feel that something was off. The tiles felt sticky under his feet and something was slipping between his feet. It was warm and red.

The boy knew what it was straight away. He had seen it coming from his body so many times before but he refused to admit it to himself. He was probably wrong, after all he was a small ignorant child. So he ignored it and kept walking.

It be as when he got into the centre of the kitchen that he noticed it.

A body.

The boy's breath hitched as he instantly recognized who the body was. Next to the body he saw a bloody knife but he couldn't see the killer anywhere.

The boy was paralyzed as blood began to dye his skin a dark scarlet colour. He couldn't help it anymore as tears slipped out of his eyes and joined the red liquid on the floor.

The boy collapsed onto the ground and began to scream. He just wanted her to hold him. He wanted to feel safe and happy he wanted…

"I want my mommy!" he cried "Where are you mommy? Where have you gone?" he felt his throat close up and black dots began to swim in front of him. As he fell unconscious his fell onto the cold body.

The body of none other than his father.


	2. Chapter 2

Clyde woke up and stretched happily. It was time for breakfast and he could smell the scent of frying eggs permeating the air.

Clyde jumped out of bed full of energy. Today was a great day for many reasons. Firstly he was meeting Lincoln at the arcade and then he and his dads were going to get ice cream. Oh and also the fact that in a few weeks summer was here. That was but another great thing.

He shoved some clothes on, kissed the poster of Lori, grabbed his walkie talkie and ran downstairs where his eggs were waiting for him.

When he got downstairs he saw his dad's sitting at the table with three plates of eggs and waffles in front of them.

"Sup dads" he said, his voice bright and merry. The smiled at him and passed him one of the plates.

"Hey Clyde, Did you sleep well?" Howard asked in his usual slightly worried tone. Clyde rolled his eyes and grinned back.

"To be honest I doesn't have a dream last night. " he said while stuffing his face full of egg and waffle "guess I was to excited for today. " he mumbled around the eggs.

"What are you doing today?" Harold asked. Clyde let out a joyful grin.

"Today I'm meeting Lincoln at the arcade and I am going to beat him at dance frenzy!" Clyde exclaimed firmly to which his dads exchanged a look.

"Remember to not overdo yourself if you feel even the slightest bit out of breath take a breath." Howard said anxiously.

Clyde rolled his eyes again and hopped down of the table. He made a half salute and smiled cheekily. "I won't eat to much sugar. I won't eat nuts. I won't overexert myself." his dad opened his mouth to interior him but Clyde lifted his hand "and yes I have my inhaler. " Clyde put his hands on his hips. "That answer your questions?" his dads gaze softened.

Clyde gave them both a small hug and stared them in the eyes. "Stop worrying." his dads met his gaze.

" We just love you that's why we worry." Harold said. Clyde smiled.

"I know. You two are such worry warts." he began walking to the door. "I'll see you later." he said surely.

Clyde acted annoyed but really he loved that his dads cared and he loved them too. That is part of what made his life so good.

 _The boy sat in the corner trying to make himself as small as possible. He can't remember how exactly he ended up here but here he was._

 _In front of him is a tall woman with light blond hair and dark green eyes. She is looking at him expectantly. She wants him to talk but he's not sure what exactly about. So he stares back at her in confusion._ _He doesn't know the answer to any of her questions. All he knows is that his parents are gone and he is stuck here with her._ _The boy watches as the women let's out a weary sigh and leans back eyeing him. He sinks back into the cold chair._

 _Tears start to slip down his cheeks. And he focuses on how warm they are, how they sparkle in the light and how they glisten against his skin._

 _He ignores the far away voices._

 **" _This kid is to far gone… He wouldn't kill them would he?… His parents had good records… The kid has nobody left… Maybe it was the mother… "_**

 _The boy can feel himself shivering. Who is he supposed to trust? He would never kill his father. His mother must be coming soon right?_ _The boy could feel his eyes start to close and he resigned himself to sleeping on the cold concrete chair._ _Suddenly he finds his small body being lifted into the air by a strong pair of arms._

 ** _"Officer Mcbride, what do you think you are doing? The kid is still being questioned."_**

 _The boy can't remember the answer. All he can remember is falling asleep in the warm strong arms._

 _"Hmm McBride. That's a nice name…"_


	3. Chapter 3

Clyde walked along the street his white haired friend ambling next to him.

They were both out of breath from dance frenzy, though Clyde definitely more so. He had been so close to beating Lincoln but in the end had been forced to admit that Lincoln was the master gamer-at least for now.

Clyde was lucky though because if Lincoln was good at one thing it was being modest and he never rubbed his winnings in anyone's face to get them jealous. Well except maybe his sister's but that was more of a family thing.

Clyde glared down at his shaking legs. This is why he could never win. His dumb body would always give out on him. It wasn't even his fault!

Clyde had to admit, for all he loved his life, his body was the worst thing about it. Clyde would do almost anything to change it. With legs too thin and gangly, arms weak and floppy and abs nonexistent, it really wasn't anywhere near the best.

He could feel a worried gaze on his back. He followed the gaze to Lincoln's eyes and he mustered up a weak smile. He could see Lincoln's eyebrows furrow slightly.

"Geez buddy, you don't look so good. Your house isn't too far away is it?" Clyde shook his head as his friends question. He could see the world spinning slightly but he kept walking he didn't want Lincoln to worry anymore than he was.

The two friends continued walking, Lincoln keeping a close eye on Clyde to make sure he didn't collapse. He was Lincoln's best buddy and Lincoln didn't know what he would do if Clyde actually got hurt. Clyde himself was more focused on his steps.

One foot forward then the other. It was a seemingly easy process, made a lot harder by how fast the earth was spinning around him. He wished that the earth would slow down so he could take a proper step.

Clyde just wanted to get home. His muscles were strained and his back was aching slightly from the strain of holding him upright.

But it was okay Clyde has dealt with pain before.

Thankfully his house comes into view and Lincoln drags him inside. The once short corridor seems so much longer. He stumbles into the kitchen and throws himself onto his dad's crying softly. It feels like the world is closing in on him the air feels so thin.

He is trembling slightly and rasping but clings onto them like a lifeline. He can hear Lincoln explaining quickly and start crying quietly as Howard takes Clyde upstairs.

He places Clyde in bed and forces two horrible pills down his throat. Clyde whimpers as he falls asleep but he never hears Howard leave his side even as he slips into darkness.

 _The boy looked around slightly confused. He swore that he fell asleep in a pair of arms but here he was on a soft bed. It was very confusing. It wasn't as if he had anyone out there that cared about him anyway._

 _The boy swung his small legs over the side of the bed and slithered to the floor. It was a long way from the ground for someone small like him._

 _When his feet made contact he realised just how cold it was. It was a deceivingly warm red colour. He flinched slightly and held into the bed in an effort to stay upright._

 _He looked around at the room. It was seemingly empty with only a few odd looking machines in it. Other than that it was plain white with a red floor._

 _As his groggy mind cleared he could hear voices hissing in the background. Silently the boy crept over to the door and pressed his ear against it._

 _"Officer Mcbride what is this about!?" came a deep gravely voice. Then was obviously trying to keep his voice down as it came out as a whisper-shout. The boy couldn't quite hear the "Officer McBride's" whispered reply but he could hear the other man stiffen._

 _"You want to what!? But why!?" The deep voiced man gave up all pretense of whispering and just yelled. The boy could almost feel the anger in his voice and he backed away from the door slightly._

 _"You have no right and even so why would they let someone like you adopt him?" The boy could hear two steps being taken towards the door and someone filling with the handle._

 _"I think the boy needs two parents after all McBride. " The man said in a nasty voice._

 _Suddenly a massive man came storming into the room and grabbed the boy's hand pulling him out of the room. He let out a strangled cry but didn't protest._

 _The huge man glared around at the The other as if daring him to say something._

 _"I'm taking the boy to the adoption agency. Tomorrow he will no longer be out problem so I suggest to you that you remember your place McBride." he yanked the boy after him and almost shoved him into the car._

 _The boy could see the other man standing there clenching and unclenching his fists slightly before catching the boys eyes. He smiled at the boy in a comforting manner and for a strange reason the boy knew that this was not the last time he would see Officer McBride._


	4. Chapter 3 5

Lincoln sat on the edge of his bed. He could feel tears at the corner of his eyes and he wasn't focusing on the comic in his hands. His thoughts were in a different place entirely.

After Clyde had collapsed Lincoln had explained quickly to Harold. Harold was kind and forgiving and he made sure that Lincoln knew that it wasn't his fault but even so Lincoln wasn't sure.

Needless to say for the past few days lincoln had been very quiet and subdued. He hadn't really had the energy for anything, dragging himself to school and then home.

On his desk lay a pile of homework and plans. But he couldn't do it because it reminded him of how Clyde and him always did there homework together through the walkie-talkie.

So he sat on his bed staring at the comic but not really staring. He had been doing this for half an hour.

A lonely tear fell down his cheek.

Lincoln was shocked out of his thoughts when, without warning, the door was slammed open.

Standing there was Lynn followed by the rest of his sisters. She was glaring at him and he would be lying if he didn't say that a sliver of panic ran through him.

"The hell Lincoln!" she yelled. He tilted head in confusion. What had he done? "You haven't left your room in days! You've been all mopey and I haven't seen Clyde for days!"

Lincoln froze at the mention of his friend. He drew his legs into his body and rested his head on it to try and block the tears from running down his face. He wouldn't - he couldn't cry in front of his sisters.

It was no use as he could feel tears rundown his face and make a small puddle on his bed.

Lynn stared at him. She had never seen her brother so upset and, being the least sympathetic, didn't know what to do. She just stood there awkwardly. She was glad when Lori took charge.

"Everyone clear off. " she said firmly glaring around. The sisters looked at each other and nodded.

"Who wants to listen to some of Luna Loud's awesome beats!?" was the last thing Lori heard before the door swung shut. Her heart warmed slightly. Trust Luna to help distract everyone.

She turned her attention to her little brother. She sat down next to him and placed one hand on his shaking shoulder.

She was surprised when Lincoln came out of his little ball and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled down at him.

She could feel her tank top rapidly become wetter as she rubbed small circles on his back. She always did this when comforting one of her siblings.

Eventually his tears slowed and he sat up rubbing his eyes.

"What's the matter Linc?" Lori asked in her softest voice. She felt a bit dismayed when his eyes gained a wet gleam again.

"It's about C-Clyde… " he muttered again. Lori blinked rapidly and tried to squish her anger. That little brat better not have hurt her brother. Oh he was so dead.

"He's h-hurtand his breath… he went to arcade… he was out… harold said it wasn't my… but now he's in hospital!" Lori was very confused. Hospital. Clyde. That was what she had gathered.

She lifted Lincoln's chin and forced him to look at her.

"Tell me again. Slowly. " Lincoln began the story but he couldn't help but speed up near the end. Lori sat on his bed slightly one shock and her heart nearly broke at the end.

"And it's all my fault… " he mumbled in the end, tears leaking from his eyes.

"Harold said it wasn't your fault and I agree with him. "she said softly but firmly. He looked at her in shock. "And none of us will think that it's your fault either. "

"b-but I made him continue even when h-he was out of breath!" he exclaimed. Lori shook her head slightly.

"You didn't make him do anything. It was his choice. Not yours." she said, slightly annoyed at her brother's stubbornness.

He hugged her close and whispers a small thank you. They stayed this way for a few minutes before Lori's stomach interrupted them. She could smell the dinner from downstairs.

She smiled at her brother. "You ready for dinner?" she said softly. He nodded slightly and wiped his wet eyes with his sleeve.

"Can we keep this between us Lori?" he asked using his puppy eyes. She nodded even though she knew that her siblings had more tact then that.

Together they headed downstairs, a smile on Lincoln's face.


	5. Chapter 4

Harold looked down at his small son and sighed.

Harold knew that it was impractical and would probably be bad in the long run but he really just wanted to wrap Clyde in bubble wrap and keep him inside.

He wanted Clyde to be safe but he was always pulling stupid stunts and ending up injured. Harold knew that this was very normal for young boys but most boys weren't quite as… delicate as Clyde.

They would never keep Clyde back though. Howard and Harold knew how much his freedom meant to the boy. He didn't have it much when he was younger.

Clyde really did look so thin and small, squashed between different tubes and wires. Harold was sure that he never looked that small when he was a kid.

" _He's eating correctly, isn't he?"_ Harold couldn't help but fret. But Harold quickly called himself. He knew what Clyde ate, after all he cooked for the boy everyday.

Harold gripped Clyde's hand tight. He could feel every bone. It felt like he was holding a small bird.

It was such an uphill battle to adopt Clyde and Harold wished that he would stop taking such big risks. It was bad but Clyde never thinking made Harold hate his little friend, Lincoln. That was dumb of him because Harold knew that Clyde was a good boy, kind and sweet, only taking risks because he was young.

He just didn't want to lose Clyde again.

 _The social worker looked at Mr McBride over the bridge of his glasses. It was an odd incredulous look. The social worker simply couldn't understand why a police officer would want to adopt such a corrupt boy._

" _Name please." The man grumbled. This Mr McBride probably just didn't know about the child. Once he found out he'd hightail it out of there like all the others._

" _Harold McBride." The officer replied in a clear tone. It was obvious to the Social worker that this was a man that was used to being in command._

" _Occupation." The man stated shortly. There was no time for frivolities._

" _Police Officer." Harold replied shortly back. Clearly he realised this was not a time for conversation._

" _Family." The social worker sighed, his fingers dashing quickly across the keyboard._

 _The police officer looked sheepish for a second before answering, "It's just me and my fiance sir." To this the social worker raised a bored eyebrow._

" _Mr McBride," He drawled,"I'm going to need more information than that. What are your fiance's name and occupation?" He asked in an uninterested voice. He began examining the back of his hands. Maybe he should go for that massage..._

" _His name is Howard McBride and he is a Lawyer." Harold said clearly. The social worker stared up at him with wide eyes. His raised hand lowered to his side and he began chuckling._

" _Very funny Mr McBride." The social worker began, "But Howard is a male name." The social worker looked at the police officer in shock as the man stared back at him seriously, without a hint of humor._

" _You were serious…" The man breathed, slumping down in his chair. He stared at the officer for a few more seconds before he started to glare._

" _How dare you come into my office!" He spat at the now confused man. "What is it? Do you think this is a joke!?" He stared at Harold, malice clear in his gaze. "That all your kind think about isn't it! To you, this is one big laugh!"_

 _Harold stared at him is confusion and anger. How dare he? HOW DARE THIS MAN- Harold took a calming breath in and out and then placed his hand on the desk in front of him. He stared the office worker straight in the eye and began to speak._

" _What gives you the right?" He asked, his voice deceivingly void of any emotion, "WHo are_ you _to tell me what is right and what is wrong?" the man behind the desk gulped as his mouth suddenly became very dry. "Why should you tell me how to act, just because of who you love? Why are you lording the fact that you are one way which I am not over me?" The man leaned over the desk until he was inches away from the other man._

" _Guess what? I don't just think about jokes and parties all the time." He laughed coldly. "I am not too fond of the colour pink. Never in my life have I ever worn a dress or painted my nails. People do not treat me better because I am different. That is just something you believe. I suppose it's not conditioned for you to think on you own is it?" Harold clenched the desk. " After all isn't it easy to pick on someone that everyone else does? How big does that make you feel?" Harold pulled away from the now shaking man and stared at him for one long second and then turned._

" _You are nothing but a waste of my time but remember me because I won't let people like you tell me what to do. And I will give that boy the best life possible." With that, Harold stalked to the car and slammed to the door._

 _He didn't care what those people thought and probably never would._

 **[A/N]**

 **I am completely on Harolds side and you have much permission to kick that social worker in the *insert body part here***


	6. Chapter 5

Clydes eyes fluttered open. The first thing he noticed was that he was not at home. The second thing was that he was partially blind and the final was that he was alone.

He looked around the bland room. It was white with a wall at one side and a curtain at the other. Hospital. Clyde recognized the place easily, after all he had been here enough times for it to be stuck to his memory. He rolled his eyes slightly. His dads were always over reacting.

He then deduced that the reason for his blurry double vision was probably because of his lack of glasses. And , having learnt from past experiences, they were probably at home somewhere gathering dust.

Clyde lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. He had nothing to do so counting the tiles on the ceiling would be interesting enough. Soon a nurse would be coming around and he would be found awake. True, there was a button thingy but clyde wanted a few more moments alone in the quiet.

Loud footsteps decided at that moment to thunder down the hall and Clyde clenched his eyes shut and internally groaned. Would a few more moments of peace be too much to ask?

Apparently so as in a matter of seconds Clyde was surrounded on all sides. Multiple nurses checked his vitals. A few doctors fluttered around looking important but being generally useless.

However the loudest party there would have to be his dads. They were wittering, a noise that eventually turned into a buzz.

Pretty soon the nurses and doctors left leaving behind Clyde and his two stressed dads. Instantly he was wrapped in two tight suffocating hugs. He almost couldn't breathe but he knew better than to complain. He knew that it was too good to be true though. It was like a ticking time bomb. A countdown of sorts. 3… 2...1…

His dads pulled away and then they both stared at him dead in the eyes. Clyde bit his lip anxiously waiting for them to start. But as the seconds stretched on it was as if they weren't going to speak at all.

"What are we going to do with you Clyde?" Howard asked in a broken tone. Clyde avoided eye contact and looked down at the sheets picking a stray bit of string. "Well Clyde? I asked a question." he continued. Clyde shrugged wordlessly.

He could hear one of his dads sighing. The air around them was tense with unspoken words. Clyde kept his gaze down, fiddling with the sheets. It gave him a distraction something to do something…

Suddenly Clyde felt himself be grabbed by the shoulders, forcing him to look up into his dads eyes. He could see slight sparkles and his heart hurt. He didn't want them to cry.

"How are we supposed to trust you Clyde?" Harold, who had previously been silent, asked. Clyde couldn't think of an answer. His mouth was suspiciously dry and he could feel moisture in his eyes.

"We w-want to trust you Clyde but how are we supposed to when you keep breaking our trust?" Howard asked, dabbing the sides of his face. Clyde could feel tears coming out of his eyes. Why was he so WEAK?!

"You can trust me." Clyde said. He was aware how high-pitched his voice sounded. His dads looked at him sadly. Harold shook his head slightly and walked out. Howard strayed behind.

"See you tomorrow Clyde." he said gulping. Then he rushed to catch up with Harold. Clyde could feel his heart break. It wasn't FAIR! He didn't ask to be born into such a small weak body. He didn't ask to be hurt when he was younger. He didn't ask for ANY of THIS!

Clyde turned and sobbed silently into his pillow.

'Maybe they would be better off without me…'

 _The boy rubbed his nose onto his small jacket as he followed the fancy lady. She kept saying over and over that the place he was going was nice and friendly but the boy didn't trust her._

 _Not one bit._

 _The lady's hand thumped onto the door. And what an ugly door it was, an unfriendly maroon colour. Clyde hid behind the lady slightly. Who knew what would come out of this door?!_

 _The door opened wide. Clyde looked up. The door was big and the man opening the door was practically a giant. The man smiled at him. Clydes eyes narrowed. He didn't like that smile._

 _The man gestured at the door behind him and the lady and man shared some low words._ _Clyde stood behind the lady. He felt uncomfortable. It felt like he was being watched from somewhere behind him. He turned around and saw a small girl meet his eyes._

 _Out of nowhere the women forcefully grabbed his hand and dragged him behind her. He let out a small cry but she didn't listen, jabbering on about something or another. He heard the words "nice" , "friendly" and "pretty" but other than that he wasn't listening. He didn't see the point anyway._

 _Pretty soon , after being dragged around the whole house he was shoved into a small room. The lady told him to "stay there" and he knew nowhere else to go so he followed her instructions._

 _The room had a loud grandfather clock ticking in the corner and that was about it. There was a table in the middle and several chairs around that but, in terms of decoration, that was it._ _The boy went over to the table and took a seat. The seats were plastic and hard but the boy didn't really care._

 _Hopefully he wouldn't be staying long. He would probably be back to his mom soon. Yeah. That must be it. He was just waiting for his mom._

 _The boy stared at the clock in the corner and let himself be transfixed by it. It wasn't interesting but the boy hadn't been able to feel anything for a while so it was okay. He didn't find it boring or even interesting but looking at it distracted him from his thoughts and kept him mildly entertained._

 _The boy was startled when the door opened behind him. Through the door trailed in a random rabble. It was a mix of girls and boys. Some were older than him and some were younger than him. He stared at them impassively._

 _Quite soon a girl stepped out. "Hello." she said. The boy noted that her voice was quite snobby. "My name is Layla." she continued. He looked her up and down._

 _She was relatively pretty with blond hair and wide brown eyes but there was something about her that Clyde inherently didn't like._ _Layla stared at the boy like she expected something. He wasn't sure what but it was getting awkward and he better say something._

 _"You were looking at me earlier…" He stated emotionlessly. She stood there and looked at him and then grinned._

 _"Well yeah." she said. The boy tilted his head , confused. "I've never seen someone as dirty as you before." The boy blinked confused._

 _"But I had a shower earlier…" He said quietly. This time it was Laylas turn to look confused._ _This time another boy stepped forward._

 _"But yer still brown so you must not be very good." he sniffed self-importantly . The boy flinched. He didn't know he was dirty. He had always looked like this._

 _"But I've always looked like this." He protested. The rabble blinked, surprised. This time a tall boy stepped forward and frowned down at the boy._

 _"You are lying." he said. Then a cruel grin spread across his face. "Or yer an alien." the boy flinched again as smiles spread from child to child._

 _"That's not true…" he whispered as the children spread around him._ _One of the boys brushed past him._

 _"Ew don't touch him!" Layla shrieked laughing. "You might catch alien germs." The boy felt tears roll down his face as the children jeered at him._

 _Luckily that moment the lady came in. Instantly the children back away and she grinned naively and pinched the boy's face._ _" It's good that you're making friends Clyde!" she said happily. The boy wanted to protest but she interrupted him "Because you'll be staying here."_

[A/N **I do not think that way at all. I try to like everyone and would never treat another that way.** **So please don't be offended or anything because that isn't what i think. If you don't like this chapter please give me a legit reason.**

 **E.g. "I hate this chapter because you can't spell and the characterization is bad.**

 **Not : " You are so racist go AnD dIe!!11!!!!"**

 **In other thoughts…**

 **I am thinking of maybe writing a story about the background of Harold or Howard McBride. I have a lot of ideas so if you want to see that then say but if not also say! I don't mind either way!**

 **Thank you for reading !!!!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Warning, mentions of rape but nothing explicit because...no...**

 _ **When Clyde opened his eyes it was dark. He could scarcely see beyond his arms. It was cold. Clyde shivered and tried to wrap his arms around his thin body.**_

" _ **Tried" being the keyword.**_

 _ **For, however much he struggled, his arms wouldn't move. It was like they were stuck to his body with thick glue or held down with rope. He couldn't even wiggle his fingers- or feel them for that matter.**_

 _ **His heart pace increased tenfold. It thudded against his chest like a little bird. It screamed "danger, danger!" like Clyde didn't realise that fact already. It wanted to escape and Clyde swore that it was so loud that it could be heard miles away. Although to the average person it was a silent as the wings of an owl.**_

 _ **He opened his mouth to scream- his last and only option, but there was no sound. There wasn't even a rasping sound. His voice seemed to have slipped off of the face of the earth. All that Clyde could focus on now was his loud breathing.**_

 _ **That was it for a few minutes, or hours, maybe days- he wasn't sure. All that existed was his slow breathing and the constant darkness and feeling of being constricted. He wanted to escape. He could find someone and they would help him but, much like his arms, his legs were not responding.**_

" _ **Like they would even care if you did escape." A mocking voice whispered from the corners. Clyde's throat tightened. He recognised that voice. And the tone. And the darkness. And-**_

" _ **Recognize me now, don't ye boy." Clyde could almost hear the smile on his face. The tone of control; power where Clyde was powerless. His eyes widened and just in his sightline was a figure. He couldn't make it out. It looked like a shadow of sorts, like a smiling memory of the past. Which, a small part of his subconscious reminded him, he was.**_

 _ **Clyde shook more than he did already. He clenched his eyes shut and desperately wished for his dads. If they were here they would know what to do. They always did. They were clever where Clyde was not. Strong where Clyde was weak. Helpful rather than useless. His eyes shot open, not that they were of any use when booming laughter echoed around him.**_

" _ **Aw. Little boyo wants his daddys ta come an save him." The figure moved forward, eyes gleaming maliciously, "Well boy, ya got a very 'portant lesson a comin' yer way," He leaned forward and Clyde could feel hot breath on his skin, "Good boys don't always get what 'ey want." He smirked, the ugly smile pulling his face into a twisted shape. "Besides, yer dad's 'ate yer. T'ey ain't comin' fer you."**_

 _ **Clyde's heart clenched. The monster was telling the truth. All he did is make their life hard they just wanted to make him happy but he always tore those ideas down. It was no wonder they weren't coming for him. He flinched at the man's malicious smile and a tear dropped down his face in terror of what was to come.**_

 _ **A large hand came up and stroked Clyde's face. He whimpered. It was cold and felt dead. It felt like a hand that a vampire may own and use before striking its prey down and ripping it apart.**_

" _ **Jus' stay still pretty boy. Let's 'ave some "fun" t'gether." The man suddenly began to laugh uncontrollably. As he spoke his large hand trailed down Clydes back.**_

 _ **Clyde screamed. His terrified cries ran out but no-body came.**_

' _ **Clyde'**_

 _ **The man was right he wasn't loved and he was going to die.**_

' _Clyde.'_

 _ **Alone.**_

"Clyde!"

Clyde's eyes shot open and met the frantic ones of his father. His whole body was being shaken. His throat was sore and his voice hoarse when he tried to speak.

"Dad?" He asked confused. Why was his dad shaking him? Why was he here and not- not there?

Suddenly he found himself wrapped in a pair of strong arms. They wrapped around his small body and he wanted to collapse into them but he was still too tense.

"Shh. It's okay Clyde. You're okay. You're here with us." Harold said calmly, arms still wrapped around the shaking boy. It was then the boy realised that tears were dripping down his face.

Oh.

He was still confused though and his next question made both of the adults tense up.

"Why are you being nice? You hate me." The boy said. His voice was emotionless, a vast contrast to the tears dripping down his face. Both of the adults glanced at each other with wide eyes. Where was this coming from?

"No. We don't Clyde. Where did you get that silly idea come from?" Harold asked, voice still and calm as ever even as his heart hammered in his chest.

The small boy brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. The two adults exchanged another glance. That was not a good position, the two had learnt from Dr Lopez. It was bad news. The two adults were walking on thin ice now.

"What brought this on Clyde?" Howard asked, putting a hand on his son's back in an attempt to calm him down. Their fears grew however when he flinched away from Howard's hand.

"That's what he told me." The two men looked at the boy in confusion. He? "I couldn't move and-and he t-told me that no-body-body was com-coming. It wasn't like be-before. It was different." Clyde's nail finally broke skin, blood coming out of the small puncture. He didn't seem to notice, instead staring at something that they couldn't see. "Last time I w-was stronger, innoc-cent I suppose." His bitter laughter bubble into a hiccup than a sob. "Its what you get for being so STUPID!" He yelled and began to sob. His arms bleeding profusely from his nails digging in. Both of the adults looked at the distraught boy and agreed silently.

"Go and call Dr Lopez," Howard said sternly, voice wavering slightly. Harold nodded and almost ran downstairs. Howard turned his full attention to the boy. He leant over and removed the boy's hands from his arms and lifted his head, making the boy look him in the eyes.

"We love you, Clyde. More than you'll ever understand. We may say words in anger but that does not mean we hate you. Far from it. Only the ones we love can push us to such hatred for, only through love can we truly see how much a person means to us." Howards reach up and wiped tears from Clyde's face, smiling fondly at him as he did so. Clyde's eyes met his. Though they must have seen many horrors they were still wide, filled with a special kind of innocence that only the young own.

Without a second thought, he reached over and hugged the boy. It was not a tight hug, as not o frighten the child any further but Clyde quickly sagged into his arms. It was clear that the boy was exhausted. He didn't even struggle as Howard lifted him carefully and carried him to his and Harold's bedroom.

Gently he placed the boy under the covers before going under himself. He was surprised at how quickly a pair of small arms wrapped around his body, still trembling slightly, but much stiller than before. He hugged the boy and watched as slowly his eyelids began to droop. The boy was clearly fighting sleep but, what with being wrapped in strong arms and just so exhausted, he quickly fell into slumber.

"Love you too Dad."

 **[A/N]**

 **Poor Clyde. Why do I always have to be so mean to you? OH yeah- plot.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this part. Well not enjoyed but I mean... You get the point. Again Review and stuff.**

 **Sorry for taking so long to make this. I wrote it three times. Each time it was mysteriously deleted and then I just rage quit. Also I was busy because unfortunately I can't live on the internet. I hope you like this though. I think it is the best out of any of the other three anyway.**


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